Kenyan Artist Emmanuel Wandera Wins Ballpoint Pen Competition

BIC’s Art Master Africa Competition Rewards National Winners

BIC, a world leader in stationery, lighters, and shavers, announced today the regional and national winners of the sixth edition of its flagship ballpoint pen art competition, Art Master Africa.

The competition was launched earlier this year and called on creatives to depict their interpretation of Ubuntu (or One Africa), this year’s competition’s theme, using the iconic BIC ballpoint pen.

The theme encouraged artists to creatively express the African philosophy of Ubuntu, which emphasizes interdependence and the power of collective harmony, using the iconic BIC ballpoint pen.

Kenyan artist Emmanual Wandera was recognized as the country’s national winner for his piece, Villagers. Runners up Joel Joe and James Odhiambo were recognized for their pieces Mama Africa and Fatherly Compassion respectively and were each awarded USD 300.

Art Master Africa announced three regional winners and six national winners. Details of the winning pieces can be found on the competition, website.

The regional winner in first place won a cash prize of USD 2,000; a personalized opportunity to be featured in the Art Master Africa Metaverse gallery; and a chance to be featured in BIC’s Art Collection globally.

Second and third place winners received a cash prize of USD 1,000 (Sh128,649) and USD 500 (Sh64,324) respectively. All six national winners received a cash prize of USD 500 each.

“We are proud of running Art Master Africa for the sixth year in a row. The competition has come a long way, starting in South Africa in 2017 and expanding into the wider region,” said Gregory Alibaux, Art Master Africa custodian, and Marketing Director for Middle East and Africa at BIC.

He noted that the competition has brought to life phenomenal talent from across the region and commits to unleashing creativity using writing tools and living up to the vision of bringing simplicity and joy to everyday life.

“We continue to be in awe every year after seeing the submissions we receive from the region, and we are confident that we will continue to help more talent surface through this flagship competition.”

Judge Gary Eric said the artworks received are a testament to the incredible talent and creativity on the African continent.

“Each piece reflects artists’ individual talents while connecting to the broader message of unity and harmony across African communities. As the judging panel, we were very impressed with this year’s submissions.” said Gary.

National winner Emmanuel Wandera expressed his delight, saying: “Participating in the BIC Art Master Africa competition has been an incredible journey. It’s an honor to have my art piece recognized, especially on a theme as meaningful as Ubuntu. I am grateful to BIC for creating such an inspiring platform for African artists, and I encourage others to join and share their creativity with the world.”

BIC Art Master Africa is an art competition that launched in South Africa in 2017 and later expanded across the African continent in 2019 and the Middle East in 2021.

The competition continues to grow each year, providing a platform for emerging artists to showcase their work, explore their creativity, and share their stories through the art of ballpoint pen drawings. Earlier this year, BIC launched its first-of-its-kind Art Master Africa Metaverse Gallery.